The most effective and by far the cheapest ways to secure water during drought are better reuse technologies, efficiencies, and conservation. There is plenty of scope to achieve water savings. El Paso residents use an average of just over 100 134 gallons per person per day (down from 167 gallons/person/day 20 years ago) and San Antonio residents have reduced their water use to 130 gallons/person/day. By comparison, D-FW residents use more than 200 gallons/person/day. Some simple math would allow us to secure water for ourselves as well as nature, and with a cheaper price tag.

According to this DMN breakdown from last summer, the average Dallas resident uses 110 gallons a day; the average Highland Park user, 364. So Dallas users: bravo! Everyone else that’s driving the number up to 200 gallons/day: get it together.

UPDATE: According to Martin Bartlett from El Paso Water Utilities, the El Paso number is actually 134 gallons/day.